Audio

It’s no secret that those with deep passions will go through great lengths to pursue them. But sometimes having that ‘eye on the prize’ also gives you tunnel vision, making you less aware of anything else except reaching the goal. Unfortunately, this opens up opportunities for predatory marketing.

If you’re an avid gamer, or one who likes to enjoy movies in the quiet comfort of headphones, then 3D Sound Labs has what can be your best unbirthday present ever. Ever. The company has just opened up pre-orders for their NEOH smart 3D headphones on Kickstarter, with deliveries anticipated to commence this summer.

While attending CES 2015, I made a point to visit as many audio-related booths as I could. While floating through the upper floors in the Venetian, I happened to pop into the suite for High Resolution Technologies. Why? Because they were playing some fun music loud enough to lure me in (unlike almost half of the other suites on those three floors).

If you have any kind of creative bone in your body, you’ll definitely want to check out this latest Kickstarter campaign by Richard Haberkern. You can be one of the first to receive a kit that provides a thin speaker film and the electronics required to produce sound out of it.

2015 is definitely starting to look like the year set for colors and styles. If you read the second half of my 2015 CES wrap-up, you’d know that when it comes to personal audio, black is outsold by color options. Now, black will always have a place in my heart and on my tech, but it’s nice to own other gear with some lively pop.

Holophonic sound has been around for some time, but only recently harnessed in a small, portable form. The Theatre Box completed its Kickstarter funding goal only a few months ago, and is now available for new customer orders.

No matter which way you look at it, high resolution audio is making it’s way back. Technology has improved, and consumers, ever-wanting of more, are fueling demands for studio-quality sound in portable form. It’s any wonder why the Pono Player has been a topic of conversation for a year and a big hit at CES 2015.

Are you in need of an audio upgrade, yet want something above and beyond the typical all-plastic design? Well you’re not the only one. The folks at House of Marley work with a lot of natural wood, fabric, and metal. If you want some new cans that feel and sound amazing, read on!

I’ll admit that I have not been paying close attention to the increasing popularity of vinyl over the past year. Past multiple years, actually. Even now, I wonder how the heck those keywords of ‘LP’ and ‘vinyl’ escaped active thought, even though they were clearly registered through my eyes as I browsed music on Amazon.

After Beats by Dr. Dre sold out to Apple, a lot of people felt badly for Monster, the company that originally invented Beats and got royally screwed, locked out of the financial windfall by a bad contract. Well, now Monster, which never met a lawsuit it didn’t like, is taking the whole sordid mess to court.